By Harry Murphy

Catholic response, even though slight, compared favorably with those of other religious denominations asked to aid the “anti-repression” march which arrived here Saturday.

Some 15 nuns and a few priests, including Sr. Marie Bodell and Fr. Alan Dillman of the Atlanta Archdiocesan Office of Urban Affairs, participated in the march and attendant activities.

The office earlier had sent out appeals to parishes for food to feed the marchers and others attending the event. Enough to feed 600 persons was finally rounded up under Sr. Bodell's direction, but less than half came from Catholics, she said.

Participants came from as far away as New York and Kansas City to take part in the biggest civil rights outpouring since the King funeral two years ago.

Catholic involvement began a week earlier when Hosea Williams of SCLC called some 60 persons together in Macon to form the “Coalition Against Repression.”

Sr. Bodell a Sister of Notre Dame, attended the meeting, along with Rev. Austin Ford, an Episcopal priest who heads Emmaus House in its inner-city work.

She was appointed to arrange for feeding and housing the marchers. With donations of food money from many sources and a $100 donation from Emmaus House, she managed the food problem.

Nuns at St. Joseph’s Hospital agreed to house 12 persons and Sr. Bodell lined up accommodations for another 14 by simply knocking on doors in a black neighborhood.

Three elderly Negroes on welfare fried 70 chickens as their contributions.

Fr. Paul Kelley, St. Joseph’s High School principal, offered the school’s cafeteria to help feed the marchers, but it wasn’t needed.

The biggest Catholic response came from the Cathedral of Christ the King, but St. Thomas More and a few others also helped. “Response from Catholic lay people was small,” Sr. Bodell said, “but in comparison with other churches we did pretty good, I guess.”